Business Buying Behavior
Buying Centers
Key Takeaway
Buying
centers are groups of people within organizations who make purchasing
decisions. The buying centers of large organizations employ professional
buyers who, in a sense, shop for a living. They don't make all the
buying decisions in their companies, though. The other people who
provide input are users, or the people and groups within the
organization that actually use the product; influencers, or people who
may or may not use the product but have experience or expertise that can
help improve the buying decision; gatekeepers, or people who will
decide if and when a seller gets access to members of the buying center;
and deciders, or the people who make the final purchasing decision.
Interpersonal dynamics between the people in a buying center will affect
the choices the center makes. Personal factors, such as how likeable a
seller is, play a part because buyers are often overwhelmed with
information and will find ways to simplify their decision making.